Father, daughter seriously injured after hit-and-run, shooting

WILLIAMSON COUNTY - A Hurst woman is in a St. Louis hospital with life-threatening injuries after she was struck by a vehicle driven by her enraged father Monday morning in Williamson County. The incident sparked a shooting a short time later in Royalton.

Mary A. Halleran, 33, was struck by the pickup truck driven by her father, 55-year-old Dennis J. Hahn of Royalton, according to a release from Williamson County Sheriff Bennie Vick. She was taken to a local hospital and later airlifted to St. Louis.

Hahn allegedly hit his daughter with his vehicle after firing five to six rounds from a large caliber handgun into the house she and her 27-year-old husband, James Halleran, lived in along Gosnell Road south of Hurst, according to police reports.

James Halleran reportedly confronted Hahn at the front door of the home after shots were fired at it. Police said Halleran was also injured when Hahn allegedly hit him in the head with the barrel of the gun but refused treatment at the scene.

Hahn fled the scene at his daughter's house, police said, back to his home near Royalton in Franklin County. His wife, 57-year-old Betty Hahn, had learned of what happened, took the pickup truck back to the Halleran home.

Hahn was reportedly shot by one of his sons a short time after he arrived back home, police said. He was taken to a local hospital and was scheduled for surgery Monday afternoon.

The name of the son who shot Hahn has not been released by authorities. Two weapons have been recovered by Franklin County authorities and further details are being investigated by both Franklin and Williamson counties.  full story

Marion County Police Beat for Monday, February 20th, 2012

A 59-year-old Centralia manwas arrested by Salem Police Sunday afternoon for alleged domestic battery. James Cates of Cherry Street was taken into custody following a domestic dispute involving his wife at a home on North Dawley Street in Salem late Sunday afternoon.

A 54-year-old Wamac man was arrested during an early Monday morning traffic stop by Marion County Sheriff's Deputies for alleged possession of a controlled substance and driving on a revoked license. Deputies say a search of the car being driven by Terry Finley of Wabash Avenue turned up a white substance that field tested positive as the drug commonly referred to as bath salts.
23-year-old Willard Neff of North Locust in Centralia is being held on outstanding Marion and Jefferson COunty traffic warrants. 29-year-old Steven Palmore of Kankakee remains in jail after being arrested by Kinmundy Police for no valid drivers license.

29-year-old Amanda Schramm of Delaware Grove in Richview posted $150 bond and was released after being arrested for not having a valid drivers license. - http://goo.gl/E9Tzd

Jefferson County and Mt. Vernon Fires Displace Six Families

Six families are displaced following fires in Mt. Vernon and the Miller Lake area of Jefferson County late Sunday afternoon.  

Mt. Vernon City Firemen say the Red Cross assisted five families who occupied an apartment building at 2221 Casey that was damaged by fire.  The blaze started in one of the upstairs units, with fire damage also reported to a second upstairs unit and in the attic of the building.  There was smoke, heat and water damage to the rest of the structure.  

Firemen say there were a total of six apartment units in the building, but only five were occupied.  All the residents who were home were outside when firemen arrived at 5:05 Sunday night.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation.  Firemen were on the scene for just over three hours.  

Jefferson Rural Firemen say a mobile home and two or three additions were destroyed in a fire at 19,725 Miller Lake Lane northeast of Mt. Vernon Sunday afternoon.  Firemen say no one was home at the time the fire call came in and ownership of the property was not immediately clear.  Kell and Bluford Firemen provided mutual aide assistance.  There were no injuries in fighting the fire.  The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.  The Red Cross provided assistance to the occupants of the mobile home. - http://goo.gl/Ho3Vr

Red Feather Ball

MT. VERNON - Community members celebrated the accomplishments of the United Way of South Central Illinois in 2011 on Saturday during the Red Feather Ball. United Way members were able to raise more than $10,000 on Saturday for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which sends age-appropriate books to children once a month. Richard Straeter, Executive Director of the Habitat for Humanity of Jefferson County, was announced as the recipient of the Champion of Hope Award. Next year’s UWSCI president will be Bill Whisenant of Continental Tire the Americas. The Midwest Dueling Pianos duo provided the evening’s entertainment.  full story